The trial of Mirsad Repak, conducted before a court in Oslo, is in its final phase and the verdict is expected by the end of November.
The Oslo Prosecution presented its closing arguments, calling on the Court to sentence Mirsad Repak to 10 years’ imprisonment and order payment of compensation to victims.
The Defence is due to present its closing arguments at the beginning of November. The verdict is due to be pronounced by the end of next month.
The Norwegian Prosecution charges Mirsad Repak with crimes in the Dretelj detention camp, in Herzegovina, in the course of 1992, when he was member of the Croatian Armed Forces, HOS. At that time most prisoners belonged to the Serb ethnic group.
The indictment alleges that Repak is responsible for torturing 18 persons and raping one woman.
The Prosecution called upon the Court to order payment of compensation to 11 surviving victims in the amount of €650,000.
Repak admitted that he participated in the capture of civilians, but he denied the allegations charging him with torture and rape. He claims that he just executed orders made by his superiors.
The trial of Mirsad Repak is the first war crime trial conducted in Norway since the end of the Second World War. The local authorities decided to undertake a revision of citizenship and refugee status of the persons who came to the country after the conflict. The investigation targeted citizens of the former Yugoslav countries, as well as citizens of Rwanda. Available data suggest that several tens of persons may have to appear before the Norwegian courts.
In order to be able to try those persons, the Norwegian authorities introduced new laws to their legislation in 2008. The new laws cover war crimes, genocide and crimes against humanity.
Besides Repak, Sakib Dautovic, former member of the National Defence of the Western Bosnia Autonomous Region, suspected of crimes committed in Velika Kladusa, is being held in a detention unit in Norway. The Norwegian Regional Court refused to extradite Sakib Dautovic to the authorities of Bosnia and Herzegovina, due to “unsatisfactory” conditions in Bosnian prisons.